Kendra told about this basket:
This is a very easy and creative way of cooking, though it should not be called a quiche at all. It is rather, a very heavy egg and cheese filling without a crust. I enjoy this dish and have served it in one of my restaurants with many variations. Since this filling is so much heavier than a normal quiche, you don't have to precook all the vegetables. Think up some of your own combinations.
Basic Crustless Quiche
½ cup (¼ pound) butter
10 eggs
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound large-curd cottage cheese
1 pound jack cheese, shredded
Melt the butter. Whip the eggs until fluffy, and add the flour, baking powder, salt, cottage cheese, melted butter and half the jack cheese. *
Place the mixture in a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining jack cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 350°, and continue to bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
Cool, and cut into squares for serving.
SERVES 8 TO 10
* At this step add any special ingredients you like.
Kendra's Variation
I make a "Quiche aux Fruits de Mer" variety of the Frugal Gourmet's wonderful receipt. These are the changes I make. I use margarine instead of butter and margarine to grease the pan(s). I do not add any salt, the sea food has enough salt. I use 12 eggs instead of 10. Some how when I have added all of these goodies the quiche grows into two. When making the initial egg mixture I add:
1 package of soft tofu, drained and broken up into the egg mixture
(mix until it is about the same size as the cottage cheese)
Pour the egg mixture into the pan(s) and then add the "extras" by distributing them evenly over the eggs/cheese. After all the goodies are added press them into the egg mixture then add the remaining jack cheese. If you have people who can not eat certain ingredients you can make a half and half.
1 medium can of black, pitted olives (drained and sliced in thirds)
1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 can of spinach drained (or fresh spinach pre-cooked drained and squeezed) Add in 1-2 T. dabs
10-12 mushrooms sliced
6-10 artichoke hearts (slice them into 3/8 inch slices so the leaves are not woody)
2 shallots sliced thinly
1 pound of pealed raw shrimp or bay shrimp (do not use large pre cooked shrimp they get too dry)
1 pound king crab legs shelled and broken into 1 x 2 x ½ " pieces or the meat of one small dugeness crab (add the fat of the crab to the egg mixture)
If you are feeling especially fancy add ½ - 1 pound of bay scallops
This usually takes 10 –20 minutes more to cook than the original and feeds more than 10 but freezes beautifully.
Re-heats in microwave so can be made in advance for parties.
Serve with baby salad greens and a nice white wine (or champagne)
Kendra told about this basket:
"This exchange was fun for me.
"When my son Mark saw what I was doing and
then asked me about it he said, 'Well Momma, they already made up the title
ALL YOU had to do was make it.' I enjoyed making it so much that I have been
saving more lids to make another in the same theme for my show in November."It is made with Jeffery Pine (From Lake Tahoe), waxed linen and Water bottle
lids.... hence 'Lidded Basket' is the title."
